How we give back
I’m super proud to have all our jewellery made entirely by women in New Zealand and India. I’m part Indian. So to be able to give back to this part of the world is really important to me. The women that work in my factory in India are incredible. India can be a very hard place if you’re a woman. Gender discrimination is very real there! I wanted to make sure that I was giving opportunities to others to succeed. To stand on their own two feet, and to be able to support themselves and their loved ones.
When I visited them last year, it was humbling to hear their stories. They’re now able to send their kids to school, live in better homes and they’ve learned important skills that they can use at any point in their lives! It makes me incredibly proud to know that I’m a small part of this.
I am proud to be working with strong women who are not only able to support their families through what we do together but build their own confidence and be a positive voice in changing values and perceptions within the community.
Supporting women on kiva
KIVA is an amazing charity which provides people with small donated loans so that they can get an education, invest in equipment, start a business or get emergency medical help. More than 1.7 billion people around the world are unbanked and can’t access the financial services they need. KIVA’s mission is to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive.
Every month I donate to women who need help through KIVA. Like Fu’a in Samoa. She’s married and has five children. She runs her own business selling vegetables in her community, and through this is able to support her whole family. Or Uini, a single mother who recently started her own business selling elei printing materials at her local market in Apia. And Madhabi in Shantipur, West Bengal. She runs a small handloom business making sarees through which she can support her family of four.
By donating through KIVA each month I can help these women buy water tanks, vegetable seeds, soil, threads, a handloom machine, materials, paint brushes, paint and a printing machine. It’s vital support for their businesses so that they can create financial freedom for themselves and their families.
Donating Jewellery to the fiji & samoa cancer societies
I was 23 when my mum died from breast cancer. She was just 42. Growing up in Fiji there wasn’t always access to education around this disease. My mum wasn’t aware that she needed to get check-ups as she got older and so by the time we found out, it was way too late.
Every year I create a unique piece of jewellery to help support cancer research in Fiji. Last year we were happy to donate to Samoa as well. Each piece of jewellery is available online and for sale on these islands. Every single cent of the purchase price is donated to help fund the Fiji and Samoa Cancer Societies research and patient care.
These contributions make an enormous impact. They help to support patients to get to their appointments, educate communities on the need for cancer screenings and support the doctors and nurses who carry these screenings out.